


The Arrow Was Shot

by orphan_account



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 04:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/657815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU - In order to win his family's respect, Arthur enters a tournament to win the Princess of America's hand in marriage. At the tournament, he befriends the mysterious Alfred- a fellow competitor who is equally determined to win. As he and Alfred grow closer, he begins to question what is more important to him: his family's respect... or Alfred.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Arrow Was Shot

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually something new(ish) from me! I originally wrote this in August for the US/UK Olympic Fic Sprint for the theme "archery." I never actually posted it because I wanted to clean it up (it was super messy as I had 4 hours to write as much as possible.) This one is a lot cleaner and smoother, explains a lot of things I left unanswered, and also has an extra scene and extensions to some others. My initial inspiration was that particular scene in Brave, and then I just ran with it. lol I do actually have some ideas for writing some stuff that comes after this, but we'll see. As usual with me, the title came from a song. (Tales of the Abyss's first battle theme)  
> Madeleine = fem!Canada

It was night, and the air was filled with the sounds of men talking and laughing loudly. Arthur Kirkland didn't much care for the noise, but he couldn't seem to escape it. A feast was being held, so of course many people were taking advantage of it and eating and drinking themselves silly.

Arthur was not one of those. He had come for one reason, and one reason alone.

A week long tournament was being held in the Kingdom of America, the most prosperous and powerful country in the world. The one who came out victorious at the end of the week would win the hand of the country's princess, Princess Madeleine. The princess was not the next in line for the throne, so the winner would not become the next king, but they would gain the status of high nobility, strong political ties, and a large sum of money for their efforts.

None of this interested Arthur in the least.

He was the son of a wealthy noble, and while their wealth didn't compare to the high nobility from America, they were still very well off. He had no interest in marriage, much less with the shy young woman Princess Madeleine was said to be. Politics was something he was never really involved in, and he had no desire to start.

What he was competing for was surely much different than what the other men were fighting for. He was competing for the respect of his family.

Growing up, Arthur was hardly noticed by his parents. He was the youngest of four children, all boys, and his brothers always made a point of over shadowing him. Every accomplishment he had had in life, his brothers had always done something even greater.

It was a surprise to his brothers when his parents had chosen Arthur to represent their family in the tournament. Despite having no interest in the prizes, Arthur had quickly agreed. It was his chance to finally show his family that he was just as deserving of their respect as his brothers were.

For that, he would win. He was determined.

Arthur passed by the building the banquet was being held in and frowned. The participants were staying in some old knights’ quarters a short distance from the castle, and the dining hall was situated right beside the sleeping quarters. He wanted to sleep so he could be well rested the next day, but everyone was so loud that it was nearly impossible. It probably didn't help that Arthur was extremely nervous as well. Without many other options, he decided a walk would be best. He hoped the fresh air would help relax him so that he could finally sleep.

"Not going to the party?" A man's voice asked.

Arthur turned to find the source of the voice. It was a tall, cloaked figure, which instantly put Arthur on guard.

"I would prefer not to get drunk the night before a tournament," he replied coldly, hoping the man would leave him alone.

The cloaked figure shrugged. "Fair enough. I guess if you really want to win the princess's hand in marriage, you have to take any advantage you can get."

Arthur frowned and turned away. "I have no interest in winning the princess's hand. I am here for my own reasons."

"You're not here to compete for the princess?" The man sounded intrigued.

"While that may be the final prize, it is not what motivates me to compete. It's not what I wish to gain by winning."

“So then you just want the status and the money?” The man shook his head, which, for some reason, annoyed Arthur.

“For your information, I’m not interested in any of the prizes. I have no interest in marriage or status or-” Arthur stopped mid sentence and scowled. “Why am I defending myself to you? I owe you no explanation. I have my reasons, and that’s all you need to know.” He felt that he had been colder than he should have been, but he didn’t like having a stranger question him and his motives.

The man stayed silent. Arthur waited, but after receiving no reply, he began to leave.

"Wait." 

At the sound of the man’s voice, Arthur stopped and turned around.

The cloaked man had moved right beside him, and he had his hand outstretched to him. "My name's Alfred."

Arthur looked down at his hand, and deciding it wouldn't hurt, shook it. "Arthur," he muttered.

"It's nice to meet you, Arthur," the man said, releasing Arthur's hand. "Good luck tomorrow."

Arthur watched Alfred go. Their encounter had been brief, but for some reason, the man had intrigued Arthur. He found himself hoping he would see the mysterious man during the tournament.

\---

The rules of the tournament were simple: each day, there would be a test, and the best of the group would advance to the next round. The participants didn’t know what the test was until that day of the tournament, so everyone would be on equal terms as far as preparation was concerned. Arthur wasn't sure why the king and queen went through something so involved just to find a husband for their daughter, but it was tradition, and that meant it was basically the law in their world.

The first day of the tournament was the first time Arthur had seen the royal family of America. Princess Madeleine looked just as meek as the rumor had said she was. She was pretty, but she didn't really stand out. Had she not been a princess, Arthur would probably not have even seen her there.

The first test they had to face was a test strength. While Arthur was not the strongest person in the world, he was by no means weak. He had easily passed the round and moved on to the next day’s challenge. There were several participants who seemed like they could pose a challenge, but Arthur was confident he could beat them. The one person who had really stood out to him, though, was none other than the cloaked man he had met the night before. Alfred- or just "A" as he was going by in the tournament- had outperformed everyone else that day. Arthur couldn't help but be impressed.

Once the results had been announced, Arthur went right back to his room. He had no interest in lingering around with the other competitors.

"You really aren't very social, are you?"

Arthur turned to the voice, ready to yell at them to leave his room, but he stopped when he was met with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. The eyes belonged to a tall, blonde, very handsome young man.

"Sorry for coming in uninvited," he began, grinning sheepishly. "I was following you and I wanted to stop you before you shut the door."

Arthur stared at him a few more moments before realizing where he had heard that voice before. "Alfred?"

The man's smile brightened. "You recognized my voice? I wasn't sure you would since we didn't talk very long, but I'm really glad you did."

Arthur stared at him a few moments, unable to take his eyes away from Alfred. He never would have guessed that the person underneath that cloak would turn out to be so... attractive. When he was finally able to form words, he asked, "No cloak tonight?"

Alfred laughed. "Nah, I'm not in public, so I'm good."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Why are you going through so much trouble to hide your identity?"

"Aaaah, well..." Alfred seemed to consider what to say. "Let's just say that, if they knew who I was, they wouldn't let me compete."

"Is that so..." A lot of possibilities ran through Arthur's head. Perhaps he was a criminal? Or an enemy of the royal family? "Why do you compete, then, knowing it wouldn't be allowed?"

"I have to," Alfred said, his face determined. "I have to win for Madeleine. I won't let any of these people win her hand. They all just want to marry her for the power and money that comes with it. They don’t care about her at all."

"... And you're different?"

"Very." Alfred nodded. "It's why I have to win no matter what."

“You seem confident,” Arthur said, smirking. Alfred seemed very confident, but he wasn’t scared. "I would think the cloak would hinder your performance somewhat."

"Maybe a little,” Alfred agreed, “but I don’t think it’ll really make a difference. I’m just leveling the playing field some!” A cocky grin spread across his face. “Besides, I’ve been practicing with it on, so I'm kind of used to it."

Arthur nodded and the room went silent. He wasn't sure why he had allowed Alfred to stay in his room. He barely knew the man, yet he couldn't bear to ask him to leave.

His thoughts were interrupted when Alfred spoke. "You were pretty good during the test of strength today. I was surprised."

Arthur’s smirk grew. "It was nothing, but if you wish to see what I am truly capable of, give me a bow and arrow."

"You're an archer?" Alfred asked, moving further into the room and taking a seat on Arthur’s bed.

The gesture both surprised Arthur and didn’t surprise him at the same time. Being from nobility, he was raised to follow certain rules and etiquette, and having someone so blatantly ignore those always surprised him. At the same time, Alfred didn’t seem like the type to care about manners. Arthur wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Alfred was from a lower class family. 

Deciding it better not to say anything, Arthur nodded. "I've been training in archery since I was a child. It is most certainly my strong point. I could hit the center of a target with my eyes closed."

Alfred laughed. "I hope the deciding factor for who wins isn't an archery contest, then..." Alfred's voice trailed off, then he said, "Do you mind if I hang out here for a little bit? I don't feel like going to sleep, but I don't want to be alone..."

"There are plenty of other people out there..."

"Yeah, but I hate them." Alfred huffed. "I hate everyone here competing... well, except for you. Everyone else is competing for Madeleine, and while you technically are as well, it's not for the same reasons." He shrugged. "Plus I have this feeling that you're a good guy."

Arthur should have told him to leave. He needed his rest to be ready for tomorrow, but instead, he said, "Sure."

They talked to each other for several hours, and when Alfred finally decided to leave, Arthur found himself feeling very disappointed. Alfred had been very correct when he said that Arthur wasn’t very social- he was used to being alone, so having someone to talk to was a nice change. 

That night, as he laid in bed, he thought about the time he spent talking with Alfred, and easily fell into a peaceful sleep.

\---

Arthur managed to pass the next several challenges. A couple of the challenges were more difficult that he had anticipated, and one of them he just barely passed. All that mattered was that he had, though. As he had expected, Alfred excelled in each event, his determination and training apparent. Alfred hadn’t told him much about his family, but Arthur’s initial impression of him being lower class had clearly been wrong. It was becoming more obvious that he was from one of status seeing as he had clearly been trained in many different forms of combat.

Every night after the event for the day ended, Alfred would join Arthur in his room where they would talk. At first it was small talk, but it quickly turned into more. Arthur told Alfred about his family and the real reason he was competing. Alfred, while he didn't speak much of his family or where he was from, told Arthur a lot about his childhood.

The one thing Arthur really wanted to know was never answered. Why Alfred was so determined to win Princess Madeleine's hand in marriage. He simply called her Madeleine, so he was clearly very familiar with her. Arthur's guess was that they were lovers and winning this tournament was the only way for them to be together. To Arthur's surprise, his chest would ache whenever those thoughts came into his mind.

Despite that, Arthur enjoyed talking with Alfred. Alfred was young and bright and never failed to make the typically grumpy Arthur smile. It made Arthur sad when he thought about the end of the tournament. That this would end, as well. That he would either be marrying the princess or returning to his family a failure. If he had the choice, he would have remained in that room with Alfred forever.

The night before the final event, Alfred didn’t show up to Arthur’s room when he normally did. Arthur waited, but as it grew later, he became more convinced that he wouldn’t show. Perhaps he wanted to make sure he was fully rested before the final event? 

Disappointed, Arthur finally decided it was time to go to sleep. Shortly after he laid down, however, there was a knock at his door.

“Hey, I’m sorry I’m so late,” he heard Alfred say.

At the sound of his voice, he jumped up and quickly opened the door. Arthur didn’t want to seem too eager, so instead of greeting him, he just scowled at Alfred, trying his best to seem annoyed.

“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” Alfred asked, pouting. “I’m soooooooryyyyyyy.”

Arthur sighed, trying to fight back a smile. “It’s all right. I’m not mad at you.”

Alfred’s face lit up. “Oh, good! You up for a walk?” 

It was late and Arthur knew that he should get some rest, but he agreed anyway. This could very well be his last night with Alfred, and he wanted to make the most of it.

As Alfred led him out of and away from the sleeping quarters, Arthur noticed something odd.

“We’re outside and you don’t have your cloak on,” Arthur pointed out.

Alfred laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I thought I’d skip it tonight.”

“Aren’t you worried someone will see you?”

“Nah, most everyone is asleep right now. It’s been a long week, so I doubt many people are going to choose to stay up. And I know where I can and can’t go at this time of night if I don’t wish to be seen.”

“It sounds as if you’re rather familiar with the area,” Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alfred didn’t answer. Instead, he led Arthur away from the quarters to a hill on the edge of town. Arthur followed him up the hill only stopping once they reached the top.

“This,” Alfred began, motioning off into the distance, “is one of my favorite places in the whole kingdom.”

Arthur turned to where Alfred was motioning to, and gasped. In the distance, he could see the castle, still partially lit. The castle was situated next to a lake, which reflected what light was left. There were several trees around the castle, and behind it was a range of mountains, which helped to make the scenery even more striking.

“It’s beautiful...” He turned to look at Alfred and was surprised to see him sitting on the ground, motioning for him to sit beside him. He sighed and shook his head, but sat down beside him regardless. “You’re like a child sometimes.”

Alfred laughed and used his shoulder to nudge Arthur’s, causing him to blush.

They sat in silence, staring at the castle for a long time. Arthur didn’t mind the silence- it wasn’t awkward like one would expect- instead it was comfortable. Being next to Alfred made Arthur comfortable and that was something he didn’t want to lose.

Alfred was the one who finally broke the silence.

“This is my favorite view of the castle,” he said with a sigh.

“I can see why,” Arthur said, smiling. “It’s lovely. It’s hard to believe that, starting tomorrow, one of us could be living there.”

“Yeah...” His voice trailed off. “If you win, will you miss your family?”

“Absolutely not,” Arthur replied without hesitation. “Living in a castle isn’t exactly a goal of mine, but I’ll enjoy being away from my family. Though, knowing them, they’d take every opportunity to try to use my newfound status to their benefit.”

“Arthur?” Alfred hesitated before asking, “Why do you want your family’s recognition so much? You seem like you don’t even like them...”

“It’s not that I dislike them. I just...” Arthur pulled his legs to his chest and sighed. “I don’t really know... I suppose... seeing my brothers receive praise and attention... part of me has always wanted that as well... I’m not sure why...”

Arthur could feel Alfred scoot closer to him until their sides were pressed together.

“For what it’s worth,” Alfred began, “I think you’re pretty awesome.”

Arthur felt his face heat up, and he smiled. “Thank you.”

“Do you... think we’ll see each other again after the tournament ends?”

More than anything, Arthur wished he could say yes. He wished he knew what the future held for them, but he didn’t.

“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. “It depends on tomorrow’s outcome.”

“Yeah, I guess so...”

They remained like that for awhile longer, alternating between conversation and comfortable silence, before returning to their separate sleeping quarters.

Unlike the previous nights, Arthur had trouble falling asleep. Too many thoughts were going through his head. He thought of his family and of the princess and of the possibility of winning tomorrow. As he finally began to drift off, he thought about Alfred and his bright blue eyes and his infectious smile and he realized that he would do anything to make sure he kept smiling.

\---

Finally, it was time for the last event of the tournament, and Arthur was extremely nervous. He shouldn't be- the final, deciding event had turned out to be a test of accuracy. The method to proves one’s accuracy? It was none other than archery, which was Arthur's strong point. He had been doing it so long that he could hit the center of a target with little to no effort. If he wanted to win, he was sure he could easily do so. No, it wasn't a question of his ability to perform that had him so nervous... it was Alfred.

Alfred... the other man had quickly grown on him. As childish as the other man could be at times, Arthur enjoyed being in his presence. His bright smile, his friendliness, his positivity... He was everything Arthur wasn't, and Arthur hadn't realized how much he needed someone like that in his life until he had met Alfred. Would this be the last time he ever saw him? Once this contest was over, would they part ways forever?

Arthur didn't want that, but no matter what happened, the odds weren't in his favor. If they lost, they'd return to their individual countries of origin, and if one of them won... Arthur's heart ached at the thought of Alfred winning and marrying the princess. He hated that idea even more than he himself marrying her. He would much prefer that they both lose- then at least they stood a chance of seeing one another again... but he wasn't sure his pride would allow him lose on purpose. And even if he did, Alfred was so determined to win...

A horn sounded, and Arthur looked up to see the royal family entering the area as they were being announced. The king and queen came out first, and after them, Princess Madeleine. She looked even more nervous as she took her seat. Her fate would be decided after this event... Arthur couldn't help but feel sympathy for the poor girl. He knew how she must feel- being forced to do something she didn't want just because of her status and sense of duty. It was the same reason Arthur was there.

The introductions were made and the rules announced. The person who hits closest to the center of the target wins. Easy enough.

"You nervous?" A familiar voice said from behind him.

Arthur turned around to see that familiar cloaked figure behind him. Inside, he felt like smiling, but he didn't. Instead, he put on his smuggest look and said, "Of course not. What have I told you?"

"Ah, yes," Alfred said, laughing, "Archery is your strong point, right?" Arthur nodded. "I'm sure you're an excellent archer, but don't think this will be an easy win. I'm going to give it my all!"

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Arthur was sure Alfred was smiling his usual bright smile underneath his cloak. He badly wished he could remove that hood of his so he could see it. Alfred would most likely not appreciate that, though.

The first competitor was called to take his position to shoot. He looked extremely nervous and as if he wasn't quite sure how to hold the bow and arrow.

"This looks like it'll be entertaining," Alfred snickered. "I'll be surprised if he even manages to shoot it."

"Are you a decent archer?" Arthur asked.

"I'm competent. I'm not nearly as good at it as I am with sword play, but I studied it. I can hit a target when I need to." He paused. "Well, on good days. It doesn't come naturally to me or anything." He poked Arthur's shoulder. "Why do you ask? You afraid I'm gonna beat you?"

Arthur pushed his hand away, scowling. "Of course not. I was merely curious."

"Suuuure," Alfred said and Arthur blushed.

The person who was up to shoot finally managed to get the bow to cooperate with him. Unfortunately, he hit no where near the target. Two more people went, both of whom seemed much more competent with a bow and arrow than the first competitor. Unfortunately, neither of them hit close enough to the target to be considered in the running to win.

"I'm up," Alfred said, putting his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Wish me luck."

"G-good luck..." Arthur muttered as Alfred left to take his place.

He watched intently as Alfred readied his bow. He hadn't lied- he did seem decent with a bow. His form, while not excellent, was not bad. Arthur had seen much worse before- that day, in fact. He could see Alfred take a deep breath, pull back the arrow, and let it loose. To Arthur's surprise, Alfred hit pretty close to the center. His arrow sat at the edge of the innermost circle, which was much better than any of the other men.

"How was that?" Alfred asked once he was back beside Arthur.

"I suppose you truly are a competent archer."

Alfred laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment, especially from someone who claims to be as good at archery as you do."

Arthur arched an eyebrow. "Claim to be? After this next bloke goes, you'll see precisely how good I am."

Alfred laughed again, this time a little softer. "I guess that means you'll be the winner..." His voice trailed off. "Hey, Arthur?" Arthur looked at Alfred’s face, wishing he could see his eyes. "I came here determined to win Madeleine's hand... I hate the idea of someone just... winning her like this. But," he hesitated, "If it's you, I won't mind as much. There are worse people I could lose to. I know you're a good guy, and even if you don't want to marry her, you'll treat her well. I.. I know you will."

Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but then he was being called to take his place to shoot. He closed his mouth, and stared at Alfred a few moments before the other nudged him.

"Go on, you can win this. Good luck."

Arthur opened his mouth again, but changed his mind before he could and just nodded. He slowly took his place, a million thoughts going through his head at once. His family. The princess. Marriage.

Alfred.

Two other people had gone between him and Alfred, neither of which managed to get as close as Alfred had to the center. That meant it was between him and Alfred. No matter what happened, one of them would be marrying the princess. He could easily make the shot- he knew it was his to lose. The question was, did he want to win? He had no interest in marrying the princess, but it was what his family wanted. If he won, he'd finally have his family's approval... but would he be happy? And what about Alfred who truly did want to marry the princess? While he in no way wanted to see Alfred marry her, he also didn't want him to be sad. He wanted him to be happy, to always have a reason to smile. Even if that reason had nothing to do with him.

As he pulled his arrow back, he knew what he had to do.

He released the arrow, and it hit right next to Alfred's arrow... but not as close to the center as Alfred's had.

Alfred was the winner.

Arthur was in such a daze that he didn't really notice that he was being pushed out of the way to make room for the victor. He watched Alfred being led before the royal family and he wondered: had he made the right choice? The king stood from his seat and stared at Alfred. He began to speak, but Arthur was still too out of it to really make out what he said.

"Would you, young victor, mind removing your cloak so that we all may see your identity?" The king asked.

That caught Arthur's attention. He watched intently as Alfred nodded and slowly removed his cloak. When it was completely removed, there were a few gasps in the crowd, and the king and queen stared at him in surprise. Princess Madeleine, on the other hand, smile happily and ran to him.

"Alfred!" She yelled as she jumped into his arms.

Watching them together made Arthur's heart hurt even more, and for a moment, he regretted losing on purpose. He knew this was going to happen- he had assumed they were secret lovers who were separated by the king and queen and that was why Alfred had to disguise himself. Having it confirmed, though... seeing how happy Alfred looked having Madeleine in his arms... It hurt far more than Arthur had expected.

“I thought you were away on business!” Madeleine asked, still tightly holding onto him.

“I may have lied a little,” Alfred laughed.

Arthur saw Alfred look up at the king, and watched as they stared at one another. The king stared sternly at Alfred who gave him an apologetic smile in return.

When Alfred finally released Madeleine, he turned to face the crowd of spectators. "I know that some of you may recognize me, but for those who don't..." He glanced at the king and queen again before addressing the crowd once more. "My name is Prince Alfred. I am the heir to the throne, and Princess Madeleine's twin brother."

The rest of the crowd gasped, and Arthur just stared at him, dumbfounded. That was not at all what he expected to hear.

"From the very beginning, I've been against the idea of my sister being forced to marry whomever won her hand in some tournament. I hated the idea of her being treated as some prize... I was told we had no choice- that it was tradition. So... I decided to do something about that," Alfred explained. "Now that I have won my sister's hand in marriage... I'd like to give it back to her." He looked at the king. "I want her to be able to choose who and when she marries."

Madeleine turned to look at the king hopefully. The entire area was silent as the king joined his children.

"I..." The king paused, then cleared his throat. "This is highly unusual, but..." He put his hand on Alfred's shoulder. "You won fairly, my son, so I will recognize your request." The king turned to face the crowd, and loudly said, "In this past week, my son, Alfred, has shown the sort of bravery that one could only hope for in a future king. He went against tradition for the sake of his beloved sister. As a father and king, I couldn't be prouder." He looked at Alfred, smiling, who smiled back. "Madeleine will be able to choose when and who to marry."

As the crowd began to cheer, even more thoughts began racing through Arthur's head. Alfred was the prince? The reason he wanted to win so badly was so he could save his sister from being forced to marry? He wasn't in love with the princess?

Arthur could see Alfred looking through the crowd, and eventually their eyes met. Arthur stared into those bright blue eyes he had grown to love over the past few days, and Alfred smiled sadly back at him. They only broke contact when Madeleine tugged on Alfred’s arm, insisting that they leave.

Arthur wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but before he knew it, he had forced his way out of the crowd and into the open. The royal family had just turned to leave, and Arthur yelled loudly, "Wait!"

Alfred was the first to turn, and their eyes met once again. Alfred watched him, confused, and when the guards started for Arthur, Alfred motioned for them to stop.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur straightened himself and said, "I wish to shoot again."

Alfred looked even more confused at this, and the king raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I wish to shoot again." He motioned towards the target. "I can hit the center easily. Let me prove it."

The king frowned. "You had your chance, and you missed. You've already lost. There will be no more tries. The princess will not be marrying any of the competitors."

"It's not the princess's hand I desire," Arthur said firmly.

The king looked at him in surprise. "Pardon?"

Arthur looked at Alfred, their eyes meeting. "It's the prince's hand I wish to shoot for."

The crowd gasped, and the King stared at Arthur, dumbfounded.

Arthur’s gaze never left Alfred's face. He watched as his face twisted in confusion, and then finally understanding, A huge smile forming on his face.

“I don’t...” The king had trouble finding the right words. He turned to his son. “Alfred?”

Alfred, whose smile was brighter than any Arthur had seen from him before, nodded his head furiously. “Yes, father! Please allow him to do so. I... I want him to,” Alfred pleaded.

The king shook his head. “This is also very unusual, but I have come to expect no less from my children. As it is the request of my son, I shall allow it.” He smiled and called for a guard to bring Arthur a bow and arrow. 

Before taking the bow, Arthur nodded at Alfred, who smiled back and mouthed the words ‘Good luck.’

A guard handed him a bow and arrow, and he took his place. The crowd had fallen completely silent in anticipation. Arthur was confident in his skills, but he was still nervous. Never had so much been on the line. He wasn’t just shooting to prove himself- he was shooting for his future with Alfred. 

Before his nerves could get the best of him, he pulled back the arrow and let it go, just as he had many times before. His arrow flew quickly through the air, hitting the target dead center. The crowd erupted in cheers, and Alfred quickly ran to him.

When Alfred stopped in front of him, neither said anything. Their faces were both red, which made Arthur even more embarrassed. Finally, Alfred pulled Arthur into a hug, squeezing him tightly.

"You could have had me without hitting the target, you know," he whispered in his ear.

Arthur wrapped his arms around Alfred and smiled. "It wouldn't have been as interesting otherwise, now would it."

Laughing, Alfred pulled away. "You just wanted to show off, didn't you?"

Arthur laughed, and unable to resist the urge, leaned forward to kiss Alfred. Alfred was surprised at first, but he quickly recovered and happily kissed Arthur back. There was still a crowd of people around them, cheering loudly, but Arthur didn't notice them. All he could focus on was the warmth of Alfred's mouth on his own.

Originally, he had entered the tournament out of duty to his family. He wanted to win and finally earn his family's respect and bring honor to his family. Instead, he ended up finding something much more important than any of that: Alfred.

Sometimes things worked out better than intended, and for that, Arthur would be eternally grateful.


End file.
